Narrating the ordeal from their beds at the Avenues Clinic, Abel Samakanda, MDC-T Mutoko East Secretary and Stephen Zindi, organizing secretary, said the youth militia used iron rods, fists, batons and booted feet to whip them into renouncing the MDC.

“When I got to Mbare I met up with Hondo who is a Zanu (PF) activist from Mutoko and he called more Zanu (PF) youths and they took me to the party’s building at the bus terminus. For two hours they beat me up and then ordered me to call my superiors,” said Zindi.

After withstanding two hours of torture he succumbed and called Samakanda. On arrival Samakanda’s Nissan vehicle was mobbed by the gang and when he tried to escape the windscreen was smashed.

“They took me to the same building and beat me for more than an hour on the buttocks, taking turns. They said we wanted to sell the country to the west and they want to baptize us so we repent,” said Samakanda.

The police finally came to their rescue, but the two are still afraid of the long arm of Chipangano as the youths, who have not been arrested, threatened them with death.

“I am now afraid of going to Mutoko because Hondo said he would follow me,” said Zindi. The group, led by Jim Kunaka, has terrorised Mbare lately. The Mayor, Muchadeyi Masunda, last week labelled Kunaka a misguided cannon after he and Chipangono sponsor Tendai Savanhu blocked a Bill Gates Foundation funded project to empower the local community.

By The Zimbabwean